Patient surveys in general practice: a randomised trial of an instant lottery ticket to increase return rate.
BACKGROUND
Patient surveys are becoming increasingly common and already are an obligatory activity to qualify for a Better Practice Program Grant. Strategies to increase return rates remain unevaluated in Australian general practice.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of an instant lottery ticket as a response-aiding technique in patient surveys.


METHODS
A random sample of adult patients was selected from an age-sex-disease register, stratified by sex and randomised to receive an instant lottery ticket with the self-administered questionnaire mailed out in December 1994.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference by group either for women (P = 0.68), men (P = 0.88) or both sexes combined (P = 0.68). However, irrespective of inclusion of the lottery ticket, men were significantly less likely to return questionnaires than women (P = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Instant lottery tickets do not increase return rates to questionnaires and are not recommended. Other strategies need to be tested, particularly to involve male patients in general practice research.
Ward
J
J
CSAHS Needs Assessment & Health Outcomes Unit, Camperdown, New South Wales.
Boyle
C
C
Long
D
D
Ovadia
C
C
D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012494:Sampling Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires